Timing apparatus



4April 9, 1946. MRHARDSON Y2,398,249

TIMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23, 1943 ff! .ff Zig@ 5TH/vane@ FEEQ. @W62 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,398,249

.riMING 'ArranAT-.Us Ro'dney'G. Richardson, Chicago, 1Il.,-.ass`i gnor to George W. "Borg Corporation, 'Chica'gm `Ill., a corporation oflaware .Application .'Februa-ny 23, 1943,:S'eral No. '4762839 v8 Claims.

VThe present invention relates in generalto timing apparatus, :andsmcre .in particular to stroboscopic timing apparatus suitable for use in @timing "Watches 'The :object :of 'the :invention is 'to produce a new and improved apparatus of this character.

.A'we'll knownstroboscopic watch timer isishown in .the patent 'to Gibbs, No. 2,303,540, .granted December l, 1942. The watch timer :disclosed :in

this .patent comprises .a calibrated .dial rotated 10 According tonanother :feature ofthe invention at a Fconstant 'speed bearing a predetermined .rea new fand tim-.proved arrangement :is provided for lation '.t'o the beat frequency of 'the watchtn :be bringing the rotating -fdial into phase with the timed .and a l'amp or .lamps 'for `intermittently watchbea-ts 'at the beginning fof a timing .operailluminating 'the .dial calibrations rlin response to tion.

the beats of the watch. 4A `modificaticm `of this 15 The invention yand the various features `'thereof apparatususes a dial lwith an :opening or :indicawill r'oefiilly aiescribedhereinafter, reference `betor therein, as disclosed in the Young fatent No. ing made to Ithe accompanying drawing, dn 1;953,'14'8, .together Lwith `a .fixed 'calibrated 4scale which:

with which the opening in 4the `dial cooperates Fig. i is aufront -view ofxa Watch'timingapparawhenilluminated in response to` watch beats. tus embodying the invention;

The `above described watch timing apparatus `Fig2:is-a sideviewfofzthesameapparatus; utilizes all the :beats of the watch zundergo'ing `Fg. -3 is `a, 'detail of la partei fthe ,'phase adtest; 'that is, `the lamp is flashed .in vresponse -to jnsting mechanism; each watch beat. This feature gives `rise to an 4gs. Fand -5 are block `diagrams of the elecobjection in the case of watches which ydo not trica-l -circuits involved; and beat evenly, as such 'watches `exhibit a vibra- Figs. Gand 7 fare .iront views :similar toFig. .=1, tory yindication .on the rtiming apparatus, :due to butfshowingimodied terms ofthe invention. the difference in the Atime interval between alter- Referring tothe drawing, the Vvariouspaavrts oi. nate beats. A steady indication is generally .to the :timing apparatus :are mounted lon asutable be preferred. base di), which rma/y lbe lof rectangularsnape-and The .above indicated .problem is .recognized in of any suitable ,material :At fthe `front of the the patent to Norrrnan, No. 2,064,559, which vdisbase there Ais :provided :an -upright panel 42|, `havcloses a stroboscopic type of watch timer 'which ing fthe =twoiarcuafte windows ft2 and I3. Assouses only half the beatsro'f vthetwatch 4being timed. oiated with the windows -I 2 and r3, respectively, This :result is isecured 'by means of ya commuta- 35 are the two Xed-scales `vIlla-nd d5. tor harrangement, whereby `only the :odd (or even) Behind vthe panel M `there is :a .rotatable dial beats of .a watch are 4rnade `effeotive'to :dash the It having 'a `single diamond-shaped 'opening tor lamps. 'indicator `2l] wth'erein. This opening, :when-illumi- To a certain extent the present invention .is hated by .lamp diashes during the timing of 1a directed tothe same problem. It alfords a more 40 watch, :serves as-anfindex for pointer and coopercomplete solution, however, iin Ithatboth the Lodd ates with fthe 'scales I4 0and 'll-:5. and even series :of watch 'beats 4are used, :and are The .vdial` :I'B is amountedon the shaft fll, which timed separately. `Oneindication is obtained in is supnortedin ibearings )in vthe :brackets 1.8 :and response to the-odd numbered beats and a sep'a- F9. -The bracket 1:9 :is secured to Lbracket iIB Pand ration indication is obtained in response Avto the the latter is attached to the base l0, as indieven numbered beats. Both indications .are cated. The-bracket Waalse-supports the-tWo-neon steady or n'on-vlbratory, and either .may beused` lamps .r2-'l andwrz which :are -located opposite the for timing purposes. windows 2|2 :and 43, respectively.`

The great advantage lof the invention, fhow- IThe reference character 25 indicates the 'drivever, lies in the fact that the :desired result fis ing motor or the dial, which is mounted -fon obtained without the Ause of any commutator :or the :base l- .by means ci a suita'ble supporting equivalent switching arrangement. have :disbranket 2B. The motor may .'be :asplit phase syncovered that the problem can be solved by selectchronons motor. ing-adial 'speedwhich bears L-a lparticular'relation 55 'The'motor 25 drives the :dial It through 'the tothe Kwatchbeat 'requency yariby providing "two scales located 'in specified angularrelation to each other, `togetlfier -with dial openings the number and location fof which vbear the proper relation eto the -other factors involved.

.A special aadvantageofthe invention .flies in the facttthat` an apparatus constructed `in accordance therewith, although :designed especially :for` timing lihre-beat watches, may ralso tbe iused for timing six-beat watches.

medium of the bevel gears 28, 29 and 30. 'The gears 23 and 30 are fixed on the motor shaft 2 and the dial shaft II, respectively, while the gear 29 is rotatably supported on the large spur gear 3 I. The latter gear is rotatably supported on the shafts II and 2 as indicated, or it may be supported on one of these shafts alone, which is made somewhat longer for this purpose.

Fig. 3 shows how the gear 29 is mounted on the gear 3|. 'A portion of the gear 3| is cut out and in the space thus provided the gear 29 is rotatably supported on the pin 32.

The reference character 33 indicates a shaft which passes through the front panel II and is also supported in bearings inthe extensions 35 and 33 of brackets I3 and 26, respectively. In front of the panel |6 there is a knob 34 fixed to shaft 33. A pinion 38 is xed to shaft 33 and is in mesh with the spur gear 3|. The pinion 38 also meshes with an internally toothed sector 39, xed to the base I0, whereby the pinion 38 and gear 3| are normally prevented from rotating. The shaft 33 may, however, be moved to the left against the tension of spring 31 to disengage the pinion 30 from sector 39, whereupon the shaft and pinion can be rotated to rotate the gear 3|. The knob 34 is used to manipulate the shaft 33 as described here, for the purpose of adjusting the phase relation between the dial and the beats of the watch being tested. y

The usual way of accomplishing the foregoing is to provide a rotatable mounting for the motor,

together vwith means whereby the whole motor may be rotated in either direction about an axis coinciding with the motor shaft. There areobvious objections to this construction, which are overcome by the arrangement disclosed herein.

. A satisfactory arrangement for supplying the power for running the motor 25 is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4, and is disclosed in Patent No. 2,304,813, granted December 15, 1942,

This equipment may be referred to as a standard frequency generator, and comprises a standard frequency source which is preferably a crystal oscillator, a frequency divider comprising several multivibrator stages, and some kind of power amplifier. A single stage push-pull amplifier may be used, for example. The standard frequency generator must have the proper output frequency to run the motor at the required speed. The motor speed is 'l1/2 R. P. S., or 450 R. P. M. A 16- pole motor may be used, in which case the output frequency should be 60 cycles per second.

The arrangement for flashing the lamps 2| and 22 responsive Ato watch beats is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. and comprises a pick-up or microphone for generating electrical impulses responsive to watch beats or ticks, a tick amplifier,

and means such as a thyratron for converting the amplifier output into extremely short direct current impulses corresponding in frequency to the Watch beat frequency. These impulses are used to Yiiash the lamps2| and 22. Thef'complete circuits of an arrangement such as described are shown in Patent No. 2,303,540 previously referred to.

' The apparatus having been described, its operation will now be explained briefly, it being assumed for this purpose that the motor 25 is connected up as shown in Fig. 4, and thatthe lamps 2| and 22 are connected as shown in Fig. 5. The motor runs at a speed of r11/2 R. P. S. and rotates the dial I I at the same speed. The dial may rotate in either direction, but clockwise rotation as viewed from in front of panel II- will be assumed. Y

A watch to be timed may now be placed on the pick-up device as shown in Fig. 5, with the result that the lamps 2| and 22 start ashing in synchronism with the watch beats. Lamp 2| i1- luminates the dial opening or indicator 20 and renders it visible at the Window I2, provided a flash occurs during the interval in which the indicator is passing the window, and lamp 22 functions in the same way with respect to the window I3. Y

When the first lamp flash occurs the indicator 20 may be passing the window I2 and will appear to be stationary at some point in the window due to the very short duration of the lamp iiash. Then when the next ash occurs the indicator will be passing the window I3 and will be seen at a point directly opposite, or 180 degrees from the point where it rst appeared. Or the first lamp flash may illuminate the indicator 20 at window I3, in which case the second flash will illuminate it at window i2. Thus one-half of the lamp flashes, the odd fiashes, for example, will occur while the indicator is at window I2, and the even flashes will occur while the indicator is-at window I3.

It will be appreciated, of course, that when the lamps start to flash the indicator 20 may be somewhere between the two windows and will not be visible. To bring the indicator into view, the operator uses the phase-adjusting mechanism, by means of which the dial is rotated with respect to the motor and is brought into the proper phase relation with the watch beats. This operation will be explained presently.

The reason why the indicator 20 appears at windows I2 and I3 alternately will now be explained briey.

As previously mentioned, the dial speed is 450 R.. P. M., or '7% R. P. S. The dial speed in de- 40 grees per second is therefore equal to the product of 360 and 7%, or 2700 degrees per second. The beat frequency of the watch being tested is 5 beats per second. Dividing 2700 by 5, we obtain the quotient 540, which is the dial speed in degrees per watch beat.

Now we may assume that when the lamps flash in response to some particular Watch beat the indicator 20 appears at zero on the scale associated with window I2, as shown in Fig. 1. Then when the next flash occurs the dial I6 will have rotated 540 degrees, which is equal to 360 degrees plus 180 degrees, or to 11/2 rotations of the dial, and the indicator 20 will appear at a point 180 degrees in advance of th'e point where it appeared on the previous lamp ash, or at Zero on the scale associated with window I3. The two zeros are :180 degrees apart. When the next or third flash occurs the dial will have rotated another 540 degress, or 11/2 rotations, and the indicator 20 will appear at zero, window I2, where it appeared on the first ash. When the fourth flash' occurs the indicator 20 will appear at zero, window I3, again,

f and at the fifth ash it will again appear at zero,

window i2, as will be readily understood. Running at a speed of 540 degrees per beat the dial gains degrees at each beat. In whatever position theindicator 20 may be on the rst beat. therefore, on the second beat it will be in a position 180 degrees in advance of its rst position, and on the third beat the dial will h'ave gained twice 180 degrees, or 360 degrees, and the indicator will have returned to its initial starting position.` f

That the indicator will appear at points 180 degrees apart on any two successive beats may be ageeafaee demonstrated by the Ifact that the numberswhic'h measure the :total angular distance ythrough which the :dial rotates lin n beats and `fin n-l-Ll beats are, respectively, 4evenly divisible by` 360and divisible by T360 with' a remainder of 180, or vice versa. Thus in 'beats 'the dial rotates lthrough an angular distance yof 5400 degrees. The number .5.400 is evenly divisible by 360, the quotient being l5. .In 1l fbeats the angular distance rotated iis 5940 degrees. The `number 360 :goes :into the `number 5940 16 times, with `a remainder of 180.

At the beginning of the timing operation the indicator 26 will appear atsome random point on the scale associated with window I2, also at a point diametrically opposite on .the scale associated-with window I3. Or the indicatormaynot be visible .at all, ras previously mentioned. .In-any event -th'e operator vwill rstproceed to bring the indicator in phase with the watch beats. In order to accomplish this the knob 3d is pulled out tar enough to disengage the ,pinion 38 from the sector 39 and the knob is then rotated, -thereby rotating the dial with .respect to the :motor shaft through' the Vmedium of pinion 38 and gear 3l. This independent rotation of the dial changes the position which the indicator 28 occupies at .the times the lamps iiash, and the adjustment is continued until the indicator appears at Zero on the scale to be used. If ,the watch is beating evenly -it will `also appear exactly .at zero on the other scale, but only one scale need be used for the timing operation. `Havingadjusted the indicator to Zero, the operator will restore the knob .34 and reengage the pinion 38 with the sector .39, which locks the gear 3l in adjusted position.

If .the rate of the watch being timed is correct, the indicator will remainr stationary; that is, it will continue to appear at .zero on the scale, and this .fact indicates to the .operator that the watch is keeping correct time.

If the watch is slow the intervals between beats or Vilashes will `be longer than normal and the dial will rotate farther between successive beats than it would if the watch were correct, with the result that the indicator Will drift along .thescale in a .clockwise direction. If the watch is fast, on the other hand, the indicator will drift along the scale in the opposite direction.

In practice the timing operation .is continued fora definite 4period such as one minute,.for example, and the scale may be calibrated .so that the angular distance which the indicator travels from zero during the timing period .can be read directly as the error in the rate of the watchin seconds per day.

The timing operation is similar to the timing operations performed with known types Vof stroboscopic watch .timing machines and need not 'be further described.

Reference may now be made to Fig. 6 andfthe modication there shown will be described. Only the .iront panel is shown, since the rest of lthe apparatus is the same as shown in lFigs. 2 -to 5., inclusive, except for th'e location of the lamps 2| and'22.

'The front panel, Fig. 6y is provided with two windows 5l) .and 5 l., located side by side on the upper 'half of the panel. Associated 'with the `windows 50 and Yill are the scales 52 and `53, respectively. VThe zeros on the two scales are 90 degrees apart. The dial has two openings vor indicators dand 55., which areals'o 'separatedbyg degrees. The "lamps 21 and '22 are relocated so vas tobe bracket 458 being i.provided `with fa cross Emenfiber f'crfsupporting the lamps in fthe proper position,`

as will be readily understood.

With the apparatus in operation afor timing a watch, it -will be assumed that fthe dial has been adjusted es 5to phase-so that :the :indicator 554 will appear atzero ion-scale 52,1as :shown in the drawing. Abeat :or lamp llas-h lwhich rendersthe indicator 54 visible in this position will not .render the indicator T55 "visible, due Ito its position x90 degrees behind the indicator-'51. man the next ilash occurs, the dial will have rotated 54E) degrecs and fthe indicator '54 lwill be in a position directly opposite, 'or i180 degrees ffro'm the `position inw'h'ich it Iappears in the drawing. In its fnew position ithe 4indicator' i5# -wil-lno't be visible. 'The indicator 55, however, will Shave made -a inet `advance fof E degrees j(540 degrees-360 degrees) and will appear at lzero on the scale S53. When 'the next flash occurs the :dial will Shave gained IBO degrees .more 'and 'lboth indicators will be again 5in the positions in which they are shown. This `fcycle repeats itself indefinitely. Thus it will be seen that half o'fithe ffiashesdisplaythe indicator 154 at fzero, scale 52, :while the other half of the `flashes display the indicator 55 `at zero, scale l5'3.

The timing operation iis lthe Jsame :as previously explained. if fthe Vwatch is correct, the indicators will yremain 4at aero, ibut if not, the indicators `will drift away Airom Azero Lin one -direction or the other `Adependingen whether the watch is fast or slow.

it Vslrrould fbe pointed out ithat with lthe arrangement 'of Fig. f6 the dial `may :be Vso adjusted as to phase that when -a`lamp -iiashoocurs the two indicators 25d and '55 appear at .the two zeros, frespectivelyponfscales 53 4and 52. 'With this adjustment, when the .next flash occurs :the 'two Vlindicaters will be behind the lower 'half of the panel and will be invisible. When the next ash `occurs they will again appear at the Vtwo zeros, respectively. Thus half the Aflashes are `utilizedito display `the indicators "simultaneously, while the other half .of the ilashes are not `used at all. The operator lcan tell which adjustment obtains by noting whether `fthe indicators appear simultaneously .or alternately, the lflashing 'rate b'eing slow enough so that this fcan yreadily ibe Vdetermined.

Fig. 7 Ashows another modification `which will now ybe described. `This -modicatiom like `that of Fig. 6, is characterized mainly *by the arrangement of the windows andthe indicators on the dial.

There are two concentric windows, San outer window 60 and an 'inner window '61, each having a scale associated therewith. The dial has two openings or indicators 62 and 6-3, which `are 180 degrees apart. The two indicators :are located at different distances fromthe center of the dial, so that they cooperate -with the .two :concentric windows, respectively. The lamps such as '21 and v22 may be located as described AVinconnection with Fig. 6.

Assuming `that the apparatus `'is in roperaton, the dial may be adjusted as 4top'hase so thatwhen a 'lamp ash occurs *the indicator 162 will appear at zero on the scale :associated With window F60, as shown "in the drawing. Then when the `next ash occurs the-dial willhave gained 180 degrees and the indicator E2 will be ina position 1180 degrees in advance, where it will beinv'isible. The indicator B3, however, will :also "have made ia met opposite the windcwsn and 25|, respectively, the

advance of 180 degrees and will appear at zero on the scale associated with window 6I. When thenext flash occurs, the indicators will have assumed their initial positions, indicator 63 being invisible while indicator 62 appears at zero on the scale associated with window 60. Thus half the flashes are effective to display the indicator 62 at window 63 while the other half of the flashes are effective to display the indicator. 63 at window 6|.

The timing operation is carried out the same as in the two preceding cases and need not be described.

In all of the modications the alternate beats of a watch are timed separately so that the desired object of obtaining a steady non-vibratory indication is attained, even though the watch being timed does not beat evenly. The disadvantage inherent in those watch timers which use all the beats to produce a single timing indication is thus eliminated. At the saine time the advantage of being able to recognize when a watch being tested is not beating evenly is not sacried, due to the factthat although the alternate beats are timed separately the separate indications may be compared. When the dial in Fig. 1, for example,

is adjusted so that the indicator 2U appears at zero in window I2 the indicator should also appear exactly at zero in window I3, and if it does not the operator is thereby advised that the watch is not beating evenly. The modification Fig. 7 has a special advantage in this connection, due to the fact that the twoV indicators appear in radial alignment at the two windows if the watch being tested is beating evenly. If the watch is not beating evenly the resulting displacement of one of the indicators can easily be detected. It will be understood that before testing a watch for an even beat it must be regulated as to rate, so that there will be no substantial drift of the indicators between successive beats.

That a six-beat watch can be timed on the apparatus disclosed herein may be shown by calculating the angular distances through "which the dial moves during l, 2, 3 and 4 beats, and by dividing the numbers corresponding to such distances by 360' and noting the remainders. `rlhe remainders will be found to be 90', 180, 270, and 0, and they repeat in the same order if'the calculation is Vcarried out for 5, 6, '7 and 8 beats. This means that the dial gains 9G degrees per beat, an'd that any indicator will reappear at the same point on every fourth beat. That is, in timing a six-beat watch the indicator in use reaches the same position on every fourth beat instead of on every second beat as is the case in timing .a five-beat watch.

The dial may be rotated at a speed of 21,12 R. P.-S., or 180 degrees per beat, with satisfactory results. This is a rather low scanning speed, however, and the advantage of being able to time six-beat watches as well as live-beat watches is not obtained. The next speed above 'l1/2` R. P. S.

which might be considered is 121/2 R. P. S., buty would be too high for use in mostcases. I prefer, therefore, to use a dial speed of 71/2 R. P. S., al though the invention is not necessarily limited to this particular speed.

The invention having been described, that which is believed to be new and for which the protection of Letters Patent is desired will be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim: 4: 1. In a timing apparatus, apanel having two oppositely disposed arcuate windows therein, a

rotatable dial behind said panel, said dial being effective to close said windows except for exposure thereof by an opening in said dial which moves successively past said windows when the dial is rotated, two lamps located behind said dial opposite said windows, respectively means responsive to the beating of a watch for ashing said lamps simultaneously, and means for rotating said dial at a constant speed such that if said openingis passing one Window when illuminated by one lamp ash it passes the other window as it is illuminated by the next successive lamp flash.

2. In a timing apparatus, a rotatable dial having two indicators spaced degrees apart, two scales associated with said indicators having their zero points spaced 90 degrees apart, means for illuminating said indicators responsive to the beating of a watch, and means for rotating said dial at a constant speed suoli that any two successive lamp flashes display said indicators, re spectively, one at one of said scales and the other at the other of said scales.

3. In a timing apparatus, a rotatable dial having two indicators spaced 90 degrees apart, two scales associated with said indicators having their zero points spaced 90 degrees apart, means for illuminating said indicators responsive to the beating of a Watch, means for rotating said dial at a constant speed such that every alternate watch beat is effective to display said indicators simultaneously at corresponding points on said' scales, respectively, and means for changing the phase relation between the dial and Watch beats, whereby two successive watch beats are effective to display said indicators alternately, one indicator being displayed at one scale and the other indicator being displayed at the corresponding point on the other scale.

4. In an apparatus for timing watches and the like, a panel having two arcuate windows therein, lighting means behind said panel, means responsive to each beat of a watch being timed for causing said lighting means to emit a flash of light directed substantially equally toward said windows, and a rotatable element interposed between said panel and lighting means, said element including means effective, when the element is ro. tated at a suitable speed, to cause alternate light flashes to be visible at a rst one of said Windows but not at the second and the intervening light flashes to be visible at the second window but not at the first. K

5. In an apparatus for timing watches and the like, a panel having two arcuate windows therein, two lamps behind said panel for illuminating said windows, respectively, means for flashing both lamps responsive to each beat of a watch being timed,I a rotatable element located between said panel and lamps and adapted lwhen rotated to close said windows alternately to the passage of light, while admitting light te each window at a time when the other window is closed, and means for rotating said element at a constant speed such that one window passes light from the flashes produced by the odd beats of the watch while the other window passes light from the flashes produced by the even beats.

6. In a timing apparatus, a panel having two concentric arcuate windows therein, lighting means behind said panel co-mmon to said windows, means responsive to each beat of a watch being timed for causing said lightingmeans to emit a flash of light directed substantially equally toward both said windows, a rotatable dial inter- DOSed between said panel and lighting means and operative to render any given light fiash visible at only one of said windows, said dial having two openings spaced 180 degrees apart and located at different distances from the rotation axis of the dial to enable them tocooperate with said windows, respectively, and means for rotating said element at a constant speed such that if a given light flash is visible at one window through `the associated opening the next succeeding light ilash will be visible at the other Window through its associated opening.

7. In a watch timing apparatus, a rotatable dial having a single opening therein, means located in front of said dial and bearing two fixed reference indicators thereon for cooperation with said opening, said indicators being spaced around the rotation axis of said dial by 180 degrees, means for rotating said dial at a constant speed such that the dial makes a net gain of 180 degrees per beat of the watch being timed, whereby ther opening in said dial is associated with one of said indicators on alternate Watch beats and with the other indi lca tor on the intervening beats, and means located behind said dial and responsive to each successive watch beat for producing a ash of light directed substantially equally toward said reference indicators, the said dial being eiiective to prevent the illumination of each indicator by light flashes occurring at times When the said Opening is associated with the other indicator.

8. In a watch timing apparatus, a rotatable dial having two openings therein, said openings being spaced around the rotation axis of said dial by 180 degrees and being located at different distances from said axis, means located in front of said dial and bearing two reference indicators located at different distances from said rotation axis and associated with said openings, respectively, said indicators being in radial alignment,

means for rotating said dial at a constant speed such that the dial makes a net gain of 180 degrees per beat of the watch being timed, whereby said dial openings pass their respective indicators alternately, and means located behind said dial and responsive to each successive Watch beat for producing a flash of light directed substantially equally toward said reference indicators, the said dial being effective to prevent the illumination of each indicator by light iiashes occurring at times when the other indicator is being passed by its associated dial opening.

RODNEY G. RICHARDSON. 

